Akua Walters- Errand Boy JA

Have you ever heard of some very interesting companies and wonder where did that person get that idea from? Well when we heard of Errand boy founded by Akua Walters that is exactly what we taught. For me personally the name alone reminds me of growing up in the country and my Grand Ma sending me to shop 50 times per day. Not necessarily 50 but she is always asking you do something for her, the only difference is that I wasn’t getting paid. I guess that’s what Mr Walters was thinking when he decided to start this company; that since people are always asking you to do something for them then why not get paid for it.  Brilliant right!  Well at least that’s what I taught.

Akua Walters a 24 year old alumni of St Georges College and The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, where he majored in History and minored Political Science. The company Errand Boy came about while working with his second start up team Outtrail Logistic, where they were building a smart taxi App. After 8 months working on the App and marking this company the team decided to take a break.

Mr Walters had a lot of free time on his hands and decided he needed to come up with something to do. He decided to follow the same line up and do something with logistics. Since outtrial logistics was dealing with taxis he decided to focus on deliveries and that’s how Errand Boy came. It was also started because of a problem that he saw with shipping and shopping locally. So he started to think of ways he could connect local merchants to customers and customers to local merchants to make it easier to purchase goods and have it delivered to them. So it wasn't because his grandmother was always sending him out.

Interestingly, thou the name of the company is Errand Boy, they don’t personally do deliveries. According to Mr Walters “What we do, do, is we partner with others who actually do the deliveries. We facilitate that process where customers can come on our platform and order what they want and we take care of handling the when, the who, the what and the how much.

Currently Errand Boy just focuses on the Kingston metropolitan area. However they are currently looking at beta for their intra island deliveries and trying to find other courier partners for very competitive prices. They are looking at Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Barbados market as well as partnering with Panama in a few weeks. Thou this will be a great opportunity it also come with its challenges, of trying to focus on so many different countries. None the less the errand boy team is looking forward to this as they see the great potential in partnering with these islands.

They currently have one courier company working with them as well as individuals who come on board from time to time to earn a few extra by doing some delivery.

Web and Mobile vs. Brick and Mortar

More and more we are seeing entrepreneurs drifting form the traditional Brick and Mortar Company to web and mobile companies.  So why did Akua also decide to start an online company? “It has to do with the grand vision. The grand vision is to connect the Caribbean. Connect Kingston first, then connect Montego Bay then connect the Caribbean. To create are inter connected Caribbean which will inevitable be more profitably,” states Akua Walters.

 In order to get people to know about the services that are offered Errand Boy is mainly marketed through social media and direct marketing. In addition they are currently working hard to finish the App. The company is looking forward to getting investments through the start up Jamaica program and from Oasis 500 as well as to benefit from their trip to Panama to see if they can acquire any venture capital from outside investments.

Currently according to Akua Walters one of the major challenges that he faces as a young entrepreneur is building and sustaining relationships with both family and friends. However he continues to work hard and sustain his company, living by his inspirational quote “an entrepreneur makes meaning before they make a profit.”